Written Answers Nos. 956-970
957. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a hospital appointment will be granted in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26970/13]
View answerImproving access to outpatient services is a key priority for the Government. Building on work already undertaken by the HSE, the National Treatment Purchase Fund has now taken over the reporting of outpatient waiting time data. For the first time data is available on www.ntpf.ie. The collation and analysis of outpatient waiting time data in a standardised format will reveal the distribution of long waiters across all hospitals. For 2013, a maximum waiting time target has now been set of 12 months for a first time outpatient appointment.
In parallel with reducing the numbers of longest waiters, the SDU will also work with the HSE Clinical Programmes to reform the structure, organisation and delivery of outpatient services to ensure that the right patient is seen and assessed by the right health professional at the right time.
In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
958. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Health if he will outline his interactions with European counterparts and the European Commission to date on pending regulations or directives regarding hand-rolling tobacco; if he will outline the implications; if he will state the proposed effects on the sale of rolling tobacco; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26960/13]
View answerThe proposal for a new Tobacco Products Directive is being discussed by the European Parliament and Council of Ministers. The Public Health Working Party has met thirteen times to discuss this proposal. These negotiations are on-going and no conclusion has been reached in relation to the Commission proposal in Article 13 regarding roll-your-own tobacco.
As Chair of the negotiations on the Directive during the Irish Presidency, we are working to progress the discussion and to build consensus among the Member States to facilitate the adoption of legislation which will ultimately reduce the number of EU citizens who die from tobacco related illnesses. This legislation is a priority for the Irish Presidency and it will be discussed at the EPSCO Council on the 21st June. The Commission has expressed the hope that it will be adopted by the European Parliament and Council in 2014.
959. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 727 of 29 January, 2013, when a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will receive a scan for a disc assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26992/13]
View answerThe Special Delivery Unit (SDU) is working to unblock access to acute services by improving the flow of patients through the system, and by streamlining waiting lists, including the management of referrals from GPs by hospitals. The SDU is working closely with its partner agencies - mainly the HSE and the NTPF.
As a priority, public hospitals were instructed to ensure that, by the end of 2011, they had no patients waiting more than 12 months for treatment. I can confirm that the vast majority of hospitals achieved this objective. During 2012, the SDU will support hospitals in the delivery of a 9 month maximum wait time for inpatient or daycase surgery.
As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. Should the patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he/she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved.
960. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the services provided to the Health Service Executive by Gheel Autism services. [26946/13]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
961. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health when an appointment will be made in the outpatients department at Waterford Regional Hospital for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [26993/13]
View answerThe Special Delivery Unit (SDU) is working to unblock access to acute services by improving the flow of patients through the system, and by streamlining waiting lists, including the management of referrals from GPs by hospitals. The SDU is working closely with its partner agencies - mainly the HSE and the NTPF.
As a priority, public hospitals were instructed to ensure that, by the end of 2011, they had no patients waiting more than 12 months for treatment. I can confirm that the vast majority of hospitals achieved this objective. During 2012, the SDU will support hospitals in the delivery of a 9 month maximum wait time for inpatient or daycase surgery.
As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. Should the patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he/she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved.
962. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26985/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently reissued to Oireachtas members.
963. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence regarding psychiatric services at a hospital (details supplied) in County Kerry. [27003/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
964. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Health to whom a general practitioner of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 10 suffering from tonsillitis should approach to achieve the quickest turnaround, if the person has recently been referred to St James Hospital, Dublin, by their doctor; if he will confirm if parents have any access to consultants who conduct tonsillitis procedures; the role of the ear, nose and throat department of the hospital vis-à-vis this required operation; the approximate waiting period on the public waiting list and if the patient has any rights of access to those consultants with the shortest waiting list in Dublin hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27013/13]
View answerImproving access to outpatient services is a key priority for the Government. Collaborating with individual hospitals, the SDU together with the NTPF and the HSE have developed the OP waiting list minimum dataset that allows for data to be submitted to the NTPF from hospitals on a weekly basis and, for the first time, outpatient data is available on www.ntpf.ie. The ntpf website provides patients and general practitioners easy access to wait time information, including a section where general practitioners can access wait time information in relation to specific surgery/procedures to assist with referral decisions. For 2013, a maximum waiting time target has been set of 12 months for a first time consultant led outpatient appointment and this is reflected in the HSE service plan. The SDU/NTPF will work closely with hospitals towards achievement of the maximum waiting time.
In relation to in-patient waiting lists, the National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has recently been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists. Data relating to waiting times for the top surgical procedures is also available on www.ntpf.ie.
In relation to the particular individual patient query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service issue, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
965. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if national lottery funding is available for a disability conference in July (details supplied); and if he will advise on the next round of applications. [26990/13]
View answerMy Department administers a National Lottery Discretionary Fund from which once-off grants are paid to community and voluntary organisations, providing a range of health related services. If an organisation wishes to make an application for National Lottery Funding they should send in a formal application. Detailed procedures, along with the application form are set out on the Department's website at www.doh.ie.
966. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will support the Meningitis Research Foundation in 2013-2014. [27031/13]
View answerThe Meningitis Research Foundation, a UK based charity registered in 1989, established an office in Dublin in 1996. It aims to work with families who have been affected by meningitis to promote awareness of the disease and to assist in raising funds for research into its prevention and treatment. My Department administers a National Lottery Discretionary Fund from which grants are paid to community and voluntary organisations providing a range of health related services. The Meningitis Research Foundation previously received lottery funding from my Department and can apply for further such funding again. It must be stressed that lottery funding is once-off discretionary funding and is not intended to provide a source of ongoing revenue funding.
967. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the extra help, support and advice he will give to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3. [27032/13]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
968. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if it is the plan of the Health Service Executive in County Donegal to close the Ballaghderg special needs preschool in Letterkenny; the proposals in place to accommodate the 5% of children with special needs that cannot be facilitated in the mainstream preschool setting in County Donegal in the event of such a closure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27019/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the Health Service Executive has operational responsibility for the provision of health and personal social services including disability services for children. Within this context it has a responsibility to ensure that the health related needs of children with special needs are addressed and that these children are appropriately supported in pre-school and school settings. This is done in a number of ways such as by providing grant aid to support pre-school provision in community pre-schools and by funding special pre-schools that cater specifically for pre-school children with disabilities. It also facilitates children with special needs to attend mainstream pre-school by providing the necessary assistant supports. The HSE’s role in supporting children with special needs involves it working in close co-operation with the disability service providers that it funds, with the education sector and with the parents and families of the children in question.
The inclusion of young children with disabilities in mainstream pre-school settings is an integral part of the Government’s policy on mainstreaming and the intellectual disability services in Donegal are currently developing a project to facilitate the inclusion, where appropriate, of children with an intellectual disability in mainstream pre-schools.
A project team has been established by the HSE in Donegal to determine the supports that will be required in mainstream pre-schools to accommodate children with an intellectual disability and to ensure these children receive the assistance necessary for them to reach their full potential. The overall aim of the project is to ensure that children with an intellectual disability can be educated in their own communities and with their own peers rather than being segregated in specialist disability services, unless a child is assessed as requiring specialist care. The intention is that specialised pre-school provision will only be used in cases where the nature of a child’s disability is so complex or severe that it requires significant levels of care to the extent that integration in a mainstream pre-school setting is not feasible. It is estimated that this would apply in no more than 5% of cases of children with a disability.
The HSE has no immediate plans to close Ballaghderg pre-school in Letterkenny and this pre-school will continue to deliver services until 2015. The HSE will continue to engage with parents as the transition project develops and each child will be individually assessed and will continue to receive the supports and services they need. Any future plans for services will be fully discussed with parents with a view to ensuring their children receive the best possible support in the most appropriate setting.
969. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if he will outline in tabular form the total amount of funds allocated to the Health Service Executive in County Donegal over each of the past five years to allow for the provision of special needs assistant support in the pre-school sector; the number of applications made to the HSE by childcare providers in each of the past five years in County Donegal for grant assistance towards the employment of SNAs; the total amount of money requested per year in the applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27020/13]
View answerThe particular issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
970. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health the maximum grant available to applicants who seek funding from the national lottery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27035/13]
View answerNational Lottery applications are received by my Department from a range of community and voluntary organisations involved in various health related activities. The relevant Unit in my Department liaises with the appropriate personnel in the Health Service Executive to assess each individual application and consider whether the application should be recommended for funding.
When the assessment has been completed and a recommendation has been made, I review each application and prioritise them according to their merits before awarding National Lottery funding. There is no individual limit on National Lottery grants, but there is only €3.286m in total available for 2013. A list of organisations funded by my Department along with the amounts awarded in the previous 4 years is set out on the Department's website at www.doh.ie.
